WAC 132L-350-160

Procedure and evidence for hearings.

Proceedings of the student conduct committee shall be governed by the Administrative Procedure Act, chapter 34.05 RCW, and by the Model rules of procedure, chapter 10-08 WAC. To the extent there is a conflict between these rules and chapter 10-08 WAC, these rules shall control.

(1) The student conduct committee chair shall serve all parties with written notice of the hearing not less than seven days in advance of the hearing date, as further specified in RCW 34.05.434 and WAC 10-08-040 and 10-08-045. The chair may shorten this notice period if both parties agree and also may continue the hearing to a later time for good cause shown.

(2) The committee chair is authorized to conduct prehearing conferences and/or to make prehearing decision concerning the extent and form of any discovery, issuance of protective decisions, and similar procedural matters.

(3) Upon request filed at least five days before the hearing by any party or at the direction of the committee chair, the parties shall exchange, no later than the third day prior to the hearing, lists of potential witnesses and copies of potential exhibits that they reasonably expect to present to the committee. Failure to participate in good faith in such a requested exchange may be cause for exclusion from the hearing of any witness or exhibit not disclosed, absent a showing of good cause for such failure.

(4) The committee chair may provide to the committee members in advance of the hearing copies of (a) the conduct officer's notification of imposition of discipline (or referral to the committee) and (b) the notice of appeal (or any response to referral) by the respondent. If doing so, however, the chair should remind the members that these "pleadings" are not evidence of any facts they may allege.

(5) The parties may agree before the hearing to designate specific exhibits as admissible without objection and, if they do so, whether the committee chair may provide copies of these admissible exhibits to the committee members before the hearing.

(6) The student conduct officer, upon request, shall provide reasonable assistance to the respondent in obtaining relevant and admissible evidence that is within the college's control.

(7) Communications between committee members and other hearing participants regarding any issue in the proceedings, other than procedural communications that are necessary to maintain an orderly process, are generally prohibited without notice and opportunity for all parties to participate, and any improper "ex parte" communication shall be placed on the record, as further provided in RCW 34.05.455.

(8) Each party may be accompanied at the hearing by a nonattorney assistant of his/her choice. A respondent may elect to be represented by an attorney at his or her own cost, but will be deemed to have waived that right unless, at least four business days before the hearing, written notice of the attorney's identity and participation is filed with the committee chair with a copy to the student conduct officer. The committee will ordinarily be advised by the assistant attorney general. If the respondent is represented by an attorney, the student conduct officer may also be represented by a second, appropriately screened assistant attorney general.